Eric Marienthal (born December 19, 1957) is an American Grammy Award-nominated contemporary saxophonist based in Los Angeles, best known for his work in the jazz, jazz fusion, smooth jazz, and pop genres.

Early life Eric Marienthal was born on December 19, 1957, in Sacramento, California, to Robert Marienthal, an insurance salesman, but moved to San Mateo when he was two years old. He has credited his enthusiasm for music on being taught music while in school, and picked up the saxophone in the fourth grade after he thought it looked "pretty cool". Marienthal has also mentioned his father was a fan of music, particularly 1940s and 1950s such as Boots Randolph, Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra. He initially wanted to pick up the trumpet but a teacher discouraged him because of his braces. As Marienthal progressed, his father bought him a $400 Selmer saxophone and enrolled him in Corona Del Mar High School. Throughout his education, Marienthal also learned to play guitar (in grade school), flute, clarinet (both high school) and piano (college).

After graduating from high school in Southern California in 1976, he studied at the Berklee College of Music, where he studied with the saxophone professor, Joe Viola. By the time he left Berklee, Eric had achieved the highest proficiency rating given by the school.

Career

Marienthal started his professional career in 1980 with famed New Orleans trumpeter Al Hirt. After returning to Los Angeles, Eric became a member of the Chick Corea Elektric Band. Marienthal has stated that he was a Chick Corea fan even before he started performing with him. He recorded six albums with that band and two of them won Grammy Awards.

Marienthal has also written instructional books, including Comprehensive Jazz Studies & Exercises, The Ultimate Jazz Play Along, and The Music of Eric Marienthal and instructional videos, including Play Sax From Day One, Modern Sax and Tricks of the Trade, all published by Warner Brothers Publications, which is now Alfred Publishing/Belwin Jazz. Every summer since 1999, he has put on an annual fundraising concert for High Hopes Head Injury Program, a non-profit organization in Orange County, California, that works with people who have suffered traumatic head injuries.

Marienthal occupies the lead alto chair of Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band, playing alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute, and piccolo.

In 2012, Marienthal released the album It's Love, produced by guitarist Chuck Loeb, who also appears on the tracks. The studio band includes keyboardist Russell Ferrante, drummer Gary Novak, and bassist Tim Lefebvre.

From 2010 to 2013, Marienthal was part of the re-constitued Jeff Lorber Fusion, both touring with the band and appearing on albums Now Is the Time, Galaxy and Hacienda.

Equipment Selmer Mark VI Alto Saxophone with a "Eric Marienthal Special" mouthpiece with a size 7 (.085 inch) tip opening and ishimori woodstone ligature Yamaha Custom Z Alto Saxophone with a Beechler Metal No. 7 mouthpiece and 'Olegature' ligature Selmer Mark VI Tenor Saxophone with a Berg Larsen Metal 100/2 mouthpiece and Brancher ligature Yamaha YSS 62 Soprano Saxophone with a Selmer Super Session #H mouthpiece and Harrison ligature Muramatsu Flute Vandoren traditional 2.5 reeds

Select discography Albums {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2"| Year ! rowspan="2"| Title ! colspan="2"| Peak chart positions ! rowspan="2"| Label |- style="font-size:smaller;" ! style="width:50px;"| USJazz ! style="width:50px;"| USCon.Jazz |- | 1988 | align="left"| Voices of the Heart | — | — | rowspan="7" align="left"| GRP |- | 1989 | align="left"| Round Trip | — | — |- | 1990 | align="left"| Crossroads | — | — |- | 1991 | align="left"| Oasis | — | 5 |- | 1993 | align="left"| One Touch | — | 11 |- | 1994 | align="left"| Street Dance | 13 | 9 |- | rowspan="2"| 1997 | align="left"| Collection | — | — |- | align="left"| Easy Street | 21 | 13 | rowspan="2" align="left"| PolyGram/Verve |- | 1998 | align="left"| Walk Tall | 16 | 13 |- | 2001 | align="left"| Turn Up the Heat | 17 | 10 | rowspan="5" align="left"| Peak |- | 2003 | align="left"| Sweet Talk | 48 | — |- | 2005 | align="left"| Got You Covered | — | — |- | 2007 | align="left"| Just Around the Corner | 25 | 12 |- | 2012 | align="left"| It's Love | 14 | 6 |- | 2015 | align="left"| Bridges | 15 | 6 | rowspan="2" align="left"| Shanachie |- | 2020 | align="left"| Double Dealin''' | — | — |- | colspan="7" style="font-size:90%" |"—" denotes a recording that did not chart.

Charted singles Year Title Peak chart positions Album Smooth JazzAirplay 2007 "Blue Water" 1 Just Around the Corner 2012 "Get Here" 11 It's Love 2015 "Crossing" 21 Bridges – 2016 "I Can't Stop My Heart" 11 Ivory Soul – 2019 "Good to Go" 1 Good to Go – 2026 "Morning Light" 4 Day Trip –

As a leader 1988: Voices of the Heart (GRP) 1989: Round Trip (GRP) 1990: Crossroads (GRP) 1991: Oasis (GRP) 1993: One Touch (GRP) 1994: Street Dance (GRP) 1997: Easy Street (PolyGram/Verve) 1997: Collection (GRP) 1998: Walk Tall (Verve) 2001: Turn Up the Heat (Peak) 2003: Sweet Talk (Peak) 2005: Got You Covered (Peak) 2007: Just Around the Corner (Peak) 2012: It's Love (Peak/Entertainment One) 2015: Bridges with Chuck Loeb (Shanachie) 2020: Double Dealin (with Randy Brecker, Shanachie Records)

As a sidemanWith David Benoit 1989: Urban Daydreams 1994: Shaken Not Stirred 1997: American LandscapeWith Brian Bromberg 2009: It Is What It IsWith Matt Catingub1984: Your Friendly Neighborhood Big Band 1985: Hi-Tech Big BandWith Chick Corea 1987: Light Years 1988: Eye of the Beholder 1990: Inside Out 1991: Beneath the Mask 1993: Electric Band II: Paint the World 2004: To the Stars 2023: The Future is NowWith Brian Culbertson 2008: Bringing Back the Funk 2009: Live from the Inside 2014: Another Long Night OutWith Gordon Goodwin 2000: Swingin' for the Fences 2003: XXL 2006: The Phat Pack 2006: Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas 2008: Act Your Age 2009: Dave Siebels with Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band 2011: That's How We Roll 2014: Life in the Bubble 2015: Wrap This! 2016: An Elusive Man 2019: The Gordian Knot 2021: The Reset 2023: Raymond Scott Reimagined with Quartet San FranciscoWith GRP All-Star Big Band 1992: GRP All-Star Big Band 1993: Dave Grusin Presents GRP All-Star Big Band Live! 1995: All BluesWith Roger Neumann1983: Introducing Roger Neumann’s Rather Large BandWith Dave Weckl 1990: Master Plan 1992: Heads Up With Michael Franks

2006: Rendezvous In Rio 2011: On Time Together 2018: On The Music in My Head

As a guestWith The Rippingtons' 1996: Brave New World 2000: Life in the Tropics 2002: Live Across America 2003: Let it Ripp''

References

External links ~ Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame Official Website, jazzhall.com; accessed March 9, 2015.